Plattekill BushQuacker, 4/6/2008

[daLunartik]

Captain Quack (aka Queen Quack), Quack 1 and Quack 2 met at the Catskill Conservation Center at 10 am on Sunday, April 6th for a jaunt up Plattekill. Since Quack1 is a Catskill Hundred Highest finisher, and Quack 2 had all ready climbed Plattekill, this was Captain Quacks opportunity to show off her map and compass prowess (which started with the map being left in the car we left at home ). Although Captain Quack maintains a portion of the Devils Path along Indian Head, she had never come in via the CCC land, and we stopped periodically for her to read the self guided tour. We stopped off breifly at the quarry just before the Devils Path intersection, but didn't linger since it was snow covered.

Shortly before the Devils Kitchen Lean-To I mentioned there as a 3' diameter Black Birch some where along the streambed that HauntedFox and I found last spring - well, Captain Quack heard 3' Black Bird, not Birch, and gave me such a look . Quack 1 was on the ball, and made sure every unidentified sound or movement we heard afterwards was attributed to the maniacal wandering Black Birch that terrorizes the Devils Kitchen

After a break at Cod Fish Point, we jumped off on the old quarry road, with Captain Quack leading the way. Up to this point, we had been walking on hard packed ice and muddy ground. Once we started whacking, we hit bands of snow with increasing depth. We started post-holing and floundering along the old road bed, but reached the upper quarry with little difficulty. From there, it was time for Captain Quack to take up the reigns of Navigator-In-Chief. Pulling out her compass and my map, Captain Quack managed to install lots of confidence in Quack 1 and myself, as she muttered under her breath "...now which way is North!?" . With a bad intial location by me, we started off to wander, I mean whack our way up Plattekill. This is where the post-holing stopped being funny - I mean, there is only so many times you can go thigh deep into snow. After a few course corrections and plenty of squawking, Captain Quack successfully navigated her way to the summit of Plattekill.

After a quick lunch, we headed down to the ledges overlooking Echo Lake and Overlook Mtn. I turned us off the ridge spine too early, but we mangaged to find some nice cliffs and remants of ice formations. Captain Quack and Quack 1 graciously waited for me to take pictures, before we headed to the actual view point. While Captain Quack took up an observation post on the ledge, Quack 1 and I watched Turkey Vultures soaring in search of decaying things.

Quack 1 led the descent, taking a bee line to the trail. Once on the trail, we started to encounter the detritus of winter hikers the receding snow exposed. Nothing like hiking with two Trail Maintainers.... they have to pick up everything! Once back at Cod Fish Point, we encountered garbage strewn about an obviously illegal campsite (empty propane canister, used hand warmers, twine and rope everywhere, etc). Captain Quack and Quack 1 did the clean up while I scouted for more debris. From there, it was a quick jaunt back to the cars.

GPS showed 7 miles and 1600' and one Quacktastic hike!

[Dick]

OK, would someone please fill me in? What's this "quack" stuff???

Dick

[Snickers]

OK, would someone please fill me in? What's this "quack" stuff???

We are "bushquakers", it all has to do with the "rubber duck". I think I was quacking it on Saturday??? I will fill you in next time I see you. We have a new patch for Doodles to design as well. Hey Jay, that could be the CAT200 Patch....quack.....quack....quack.....QUACK..... You really had to be on that hike, it was a day of many laughs and much imagination. Great hike guys, thanks so much!!!! Will let you know next time I am looking for a "DA".

Here are a few of my pics from the day. I also have other pics from the weekend in this album, pics are labeled.

http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=274...=SYE/otsi=SALB

Cindy

[Jay H]

ya know fellow Quackers, I still have pictures on my camera I haven't downloaded to my PC yet, this week has been BUSY!!! Anyway, maybe I'll get to it tonight, it's on my list of things to do....

Nice trip report Quack 2, You forgot the mention the half hour we spent at the bridge past the leanto sending ice chunks down the brook, trying to gauge the phyics of icebergs on a much smaller scale (Iceberg, dead ahead! Quack!). We managed not only to clear the bridge of whatever ice chunks on it (trail maintenance!), we also had a blast sending ice down and learning about eddys and fluid dynamics (a lot of calculus, I took a course in Fluid Dynamics once...once.)...

We made it to the rocks on the summit and also evidence of a campsite by the summit rock.

Jay

[rockysummit]

You guys got me QUACKING UP!!!...Excellent report and pics!
-Tony

[Peakbagr]

Up to now, I've been ducking this thread. There comes a time, though, when the bill comes due and you just gotta throw down. If this keeps up, I'm gonna have to goose someone. That should get me paddled. I do have to say, though, an excellent crop of comments.